By Lynne Parsons

 At last we have a date for our empowering self help book written by our people, 'Sucking on the Lemon of Life'. 

It will be officially for sale from 2^nd June 2009.  Just before Christmas we had our own private book launch party as we just couldn't wait to get our hands on it and give it to friends and family for Christmas.  Feedback has been great this year.  We hope to get it to the people who need it, firstly in Hawke's Bay and then nationwide. 

We know that you can have the best product in the world, but without publicity and marketing, no one will know.  There is a trick to that if you have very little money, but what we do have is energy and commitment to give it our best shot. 

The Attitude's Channel One film crew will be at the Beacon for the day on 11^th May.  This will be their second visit to us and they are a great crowd.  Lots of fun and very professional, of course. 

The newspaper is running a series of articles with exerts from the book.  Hopefully people will be keen to purchase their own copy. 

It needs to be in every library in New Zealand and be a resource book for health professionals and organisations that have clients who are in crisis or depressed.

Pain takes many forms and emotional pain from losing your job, a marriage breakup, death of a loved one, all of these and many more can paralyze people and bring their spirit low.  

If they can connect with just one piece of advice to try, it could be the start of slowly moving out of the pain. 

This book is for everyone.  It has the rare ring of being the genuine article.  Truly from the people, to the people. 

I am so proud of the Beacon people who were prepared to stand up and be counted.  It is an unusual event in health services.  People have no energy left for others when they are struggling to cope with their own problems and pain.